A Good Eigg

September 29, 2017 9:28 AM

The island that bought itself
posted by Dim Siawns (8 comments total)

For the last two centuries, these beautiful, fecund Hebridean islands have been objects of desire for wealthy men – and it has always been men – who love islands

I suspect that the inhabitants of Crone Island would disagree that it's always men who love islands. Who can afford islands is a different question.
posted by clawsoon at 10:06 AM on September 29, 2017 [6 favorites]

One of Eigg’s old Gaelic names is “the Island of the Powerful Women”, which it was respectfully called by male islanders at sea, to avoid bad luck.

Perhaps we've found Crone Island.
posted by leotrotsky at 10:23 AM on September 29, 2017 [12 favorites]

Really interesting article, I kind-of want to go visit now.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:14 AM on September 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Visit? I want to emigrate.
posted by a power-tie-wearing she-capitalist at 11:25 AM on September 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

I grew up in a little village about that size - 100 people or thereabouts. The big difference was that it was on the prairies, thousands of miles away from any preening, careening aristocrats.

The behaviour of the aristocratic owners of the island is probably a big part of why my ancestors moved to the cold Canadian prairies. They wanted to get as far from that bullshit as they could.
posted by clawsoon at 12:43 PM on September 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

“Everyone has good points, but he refused to show his.”

I'll have to remember this one -- what a charming putdown.
posted by crazy with stars at 12:53 PM on September 29, 2017 [4 favorites]

Winterhill, the article itself contradicts you. "In contrast, community ownership enables Eigg to run its own housing association and provide cheap rents – currently about half the market level of “affordable housing” in this region of Scotland."

It also talks about locals' surprise to find that people are moving in, not out.
posted by a power-tie-wearing she-capitalist at 1:28 PM on September 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. That the article is incomplete? That people thinking it would be a nice place to live are wrong and shouldn't think that? If you read the article, it paints a very positive picture of a community that is growing and thriving.
posted by a power-tie-wearing she-capitalist at 8:18 PM on September 29, 2017